Taxidermy Intake Form Generator: Build Custom Forms in Minutes
A good intake form does three things: it collects the information you need to do the job, it documents what the customer brought in (protecting you from disputes), and it creates the legal record you need for wildlife compliance.
A bad intake form, or no intake form, is one of the most expensive mistakes a taxidermy shop can make. A specimen mix-up traced back to incomplete intake documentation can cost you $500-$5,000 in liability. A wildlife audit with incomplete records can cost you your license.
Here's everything that should go on a professional taxidermy intake form, organized by section. Build your own from this template or import the MountChief digital intake form and skip the paper entirely.
TL;DR
- Mounts not claimed within [12 months] of notification will be considered abandoned.*
- Why all of this: If you can't reach a customer when their mount is ready, you need to be able to send a certified letter.
- Mounts not picked up within [60/90 days] of notification may be subject to storage fees of $[X]/month.
- At $79/month, MountChief costs less than one hour of your time per week spent on paper administration.
- A specimen mix-up traced back to incomplete intake documentation can cost you $500-$5,000 in liability.
- A bad intake form, or no intake form, is one of the most expensive mistakes a taxidermy shop can make.
Section 1: Customer Information
Every intake form starts here. Get complete contact information, not just a phone number.
Fields:
- Full legal name (first and last)
- Phone number (mobile preferred for SMS updates)
- Email address
- Mailing address (needed for any mailed documentation or invoices)
- Preferred contact method: call / text / email
Why all of this: If you can't reach a customer when their mount is ready, you need to be able to send a certified letter. You need their mailing address to do that.
Section 2: Specimen Information
This is where most intake forms aren't detailed enough. Vague species descriptions cause problems at the tannery and with wildlife compliance.
Fields:
- Species (be specific: Whitetail Deer, Mule Deer, Eastern Wild Turkey, Mallard, etc.)
- Subspecies if relevant (Boone and Crockett vs. typical whitetail, for example)
- Sex: Male / Female / Unknown
- Approximate age: Fawn/Juvenile / 1.5yr / 2.5yr / 3.5yr+ / Unknown
- Date of harvest
- State of harvest
- County or unit of harvest
- CWD zone: Yes / No / Unknown
Antlered game, additional fields:
- Number of antler points (each side)
- Approximate beam length
- Approximate inside spread
Trophy condition at intake:
- Time in field before skinning: ___ hours
- Properly caped / field dressed
- Any damage: ___ (photograph and describe)
- Evidence of slippage: Yes / No / Early signs
- Skin condition overall: Excellent / Good / Fair / Concerns noted
Section 3: Documentation and Tag Information
This section is your wildlife compliance record. Don't skip any fields.
Fields:
- State hunting license number: ___
- License state: ___
- Tag / locking tag number: ___
- Federal duck stamp number (migratory birds): ___
- CITES permit number (exotic/international game): ___
- Country of origin (international game): ___
- USFWS import permit number (international game): ___
Attach / photograph:
- [ ] State hunting license (photograph on file)
- [ ] Kill/locking tag (photograph on file, tag attached to specimen)
- [ ] Federal duck stamp if applicable
- [ ] CITES documentation if applicable
- [ ] Any additional permits
Section 4: Work Order
Be specific here. Vague work orders create disputes at pickup.
Mount type:
- Shoulder mount
- Full body mount
- European/skull mount
- Skin-on wall mount (fish)
- Fish reproduction
- Rug (open mouth / closed mouth)
- Turkey fan mount / strutter mount
- Other: ___
Species-specific options:
Shoulder mount:
- Eye color preference: Natural / Customer choice ___
- Ear liner: Commercial / Hand-formed
- Wall panel / plaque: None / Standard / Custom ___
- Habitat/base: None / Natural habitat / Specific ___
- Head position: Semi-sneak / Upright / Full sneak / Alert / Other ___
Fish:
- Side to display: Left / Right
- Fin position: Relaxed / Active / Other ___
- Mount or reproduction: Skin-on / Fiberglass reproduction
- If reproduction: Keep fish / Release fish
Bear rug:
- Mouth: Open / Closed
- Felt backing: Yes / No
- With / without head
Customer-specific requests:
[Open text field]
Section 5: Pricing and Deposits
Fields:
- Base price: $___
- Habitat/base price: $___
- Rush fee (if applicable): $___
- Total estimate: $___
- Deposit required: $___
- Deposit received: $___
- Balance due at pickup: $___
- Payment methods accepted: ___
Section 6: Timeline and Policies
Print this directly on your intake form, above the signature line.
Sample policy text:
Estimated turnaround: [X–X months] from date of intake. This estimate is subject to change due to tannery scheduling, volume, and species-specific factors. Significant changes to your estimate will be communicated directly.
Customer is responsible for providing accurate and complete documentation at intake. [SHOP NAME] is not responsible for wildlife regulation violations arising from incomplete or inaccurate customer documentation.
A non-refundable deposit of [X%] is required at intake. Full balance is due at pickup. Mounts not picked up within [60/90 days] of notification may be subject to storage fees of $[X]/month. Mounts not claimed within [12 months] of notification will be considered abandoned.
[SHOP NAME] reserves the right to decline work on any specimen without proper documentation.
Section 7: Customer Signature and Acknowledgment
Fields:
- Customer signature: ___
- Date: ___
- Printed name: ___
Checkboxes for customer acknowledgment:
- [ ] I confirm all documentation is accurate and the specimen was legally harvested
- [ ] I understand the estimated timeline and policy regarding storage fees and abandoned mounts
- [ ] I authorize [SHOP NAME] to contact me via text/email with status updates
Digital Intake vs. Paper Forms
Paper intake forms work, but they have real costs:
- You have to store and organize them physically
- Finding a form from 18 months ago requires digging through binders
- Forms get wet, smeared, and damaged in shop conditions
- If a warden asks for a possession log, you're manually counting
MountChief's digital intake form covers all of these fields with a mobile-friendly interface. The AI reads the harvest tag photo and auto-fills species, tag number, harvest date, and zone. You confirm, add work order details, and you're done. Average time for a complete digital intake: 3 minutes.
Every form is stored against the job record, searchable by customer name, species, tag number, or date. Your full possession log generates automatically. No binders, no lost forms, no illegible handwriting.
At $79/month, MountChief costs less than one hour of your time per week spent on paper administration.
Related Articles
- How to Speed Up Taxidermy Intake: From 20 Minutes to 3 Minutes
- Taxidermy Intake Form Template: Download and Customize
- How Does AI Intake Work for Taxidermy Shops?
- What Forms Are Legally Required for a Taxidermy Shop?
FAQ
Can I use the same intake form for all species?
A single form can work if it's comprehensive enough, but it needs species-specific sections. Many shops have a core form with add-on pages for waterfowl (to capture federal duck stamp info), exotics/international game (for CITES documentation), and fish (for mount vs. reproduction decisions). MountChief's intake form adapts the required fields automatically based on species selection.
What should I do if a customer refuses to sign the intake form?
Don't start work without a signed agreement. Politely explain that the intake form protects both parties, it documents what was brought in, what you agreed to do, and the terms of pickup. No signature, no work. This policy is worth enforcing because the customers who resist signing intake forms are often the same ones who dispute the work later.
How do I handle intake forms for repeat customers?
MountChief saves customer profiles so returning customers don't have to fill in contact information again. Pull up their profile, confirm the details are current, and go straight to the specimen section. At intake, you only need to confirm what's new, the license number, this year's tag, and the specific work order.
How does this apply to solo taxidermy shops?
The principles in this guide apply to solo shops just as they do to larger operations, though the scale differs. A single-person shop may have lower absolute volume but faces the same documentation, compliance, and customer communication requirements. The practical advice here scales down to any shop size.
What is the most common mistake taxidermists make with taxidermy intake form generator?
The most common mistake is treating taxidermy intake form generator as an afterthought rather than building it into the standard workflow from the start. Shops that encounter problems in this area typically did not establish clear processes before season, which means every situation becomes a one-off decision rather than a standard response.
Try These Free Tools
Put these insights into practice with our free calculators and planners:
Sources
- National Taxidermists Association (NTA)
- US Fish & Wildlife Service
- Small Business Administration (SBA)
Get Started with MountChief
The busiest taxidermy shops run on systems, not memory. MountChief replaces scattered spreadsheets and sticky notes with one organized workflow from intake to pickup.